On Fasting and the Power of Information

There is a long-standing notion that a ‘normal’ diet consists of three square meals a day, often with snacking in between. If you aren’t a ‘breakfast person’, you’ve probably been on the receiving end of some well-intentioned but factually-lacking advice to change your ways to fit that standard.

In reality, there are a variety of dietary strategies to go along with the variety of goals one can have for their body. One example is ‘intermittent fasting’, which has experienced a recent boost of interest and attention in the fitness world. Intermittent fasting is pretty much exactly what the name suggests, integrating periods of 14-18 hour fasting into your weekly dietary routine (and there are so many variations you can do within this framework!). In this strategy it is just as much about what you do eat as what you don’t eat, and depending on your goals what you eat when you aren’t fasting will vary. It is not a diet to try inconsistently or just on a whim, but when applied intelligently there is a lot of data to support its validity as a tool on your fitness journey.

This blog is not intended to convince anyone to try intermittent fasting, or to cut meals out of their day. It is merely to remind us that nutrition is not one-size-fits-all and that just because someone doesn’t eat like you doesn’t mean that they are unhealthy. Ultimately the important thing is to evaluate your goals and do your own research to find the approach that will work for you.

For more information on intermittent fasting, check out these articles:

On Minifasting

The importance of research

For beginners